Wiping mitts, of hand-insert pouch type have been described in the prior art. Typical are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,645,251; 4,788,733; 4,902,283; and 4,959,881. The first of these prior art references discloses a glove for dealing with animal wastes, and other waste products, and employs an inner glove and an outer glove, with the outer glove being stripped off of the inner glove into an inside-out pouch to contain the picked-up waste material in the pouch so formed. The second of these prior art patents similarly describes a glove of thin plastic material, covered over with a towel layer impregnated with a cleaning solution--with the towel area being used in cleaning the crotch of a baby, and when completed, the glove is turned inside-out to enclose the soiled articles with a tie to close-off the opening of the bag. The third of these typical descriptions also is concerned with a baby-wipe including a pair of water-repellant layers to receive a hand--in which a cotton outer layer to wipe a baby clean is shown with an inner layer being water repellant. (As with the two prior references, after use, the mitt is everted so that the inner layers become the outer layers to form a waste bag in which the wearer need never touch the soiled material.) The fourth of these references shows a particular construction of a cleaning mitt for cleaning various surfaces--and includes the cleaning solution as part of its construction, arranged so as to protect the hand against this cleanser or disinfectant, with the mitt being thrown away after use, although without any rolling-over of it into itself.
Other prior art references in this general field include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,964,188; 5,178,426; and 5,301,806. The first one here describes a fabrication of a bag in the form of a glove for scooping up dog droppings, in which a padding material on the outside of the bag enables absorption of any moisture present, while allowing the user to pick up excrement. (Additionally, the arrangement permits a user to turn the bag inside-out so that the specimen is contained inside the bag, which is then tied off and thrown away.) The second patent in this grouping similarly is concerned with picking up after a dog, and shows a somewhat complicated arrangement of a combined pad and bag to pick up after the animal and for carrying away the droppings after use--in which the pad and bag is foldable so that it can be stored and carried in a pocket, purse or hand. The third reference, here, like the one before it, also combines a plastic bag in a glove with padded material to absorb moisture contained in excrement, which is intended to be used in picking up after the animal--in this construction, however, the pad is impregnated with a disinfectant, or a solvent to clean up waste, and after which a user turns the bag inside-out so that the waste is contained inside, by pulling tightly on included drawstrings.
Japanese Patent No. 22,701, on the other hand, shows a bag to be used in a hospital environment, incorporating a cloth adhesion to the outside of a water impermeable bag, to be turned inside-out and discarded after use.
While these mitts of the hand-insert pouch type may work adequately well for cleaning and wiping purposes, their constructions are not readily adaptable to effective use in virus/bacteria protection, nor in instances where manufacturing costs are required to be kept minimally low. While the concept of having a glove which can be essentially transformed into a bag to facilitate disposal of a soiled article is quite desirable, many times the article to be disposed of is in the nature of mucous produced through a sneeze, a cough, a spit, or a nose blow. The constructions set forth in these, and similar such, prior references are all too complex, too cumbersome, and too expensive, where all that is simply needed is an inexpensive tissue for use. To then protect against infection which could thus arise in this manner from colds, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, AIDS, TB germs, and other upper respiratory problems where mucous is involved, a sealing mechanism should be had--somewhat along the lines of those obtainable with the prior art, but one which is much less expensive to produce, while being exceedingly easy to operate, without requiring further contact between the virus/bacteria and a user's hand.